an international episode-第6章

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that　he　was　from　Boston　and　was　very　fond　of　reading　aloud。

Beaumont　said　it　was　a　great　pity　that　they　had　interrupted　him；

he　should　like　so　much　（from　all　he　had　heard）　to　hear　a　Bostonian　read。

Couldn't　the　young　man　be　induced　to　go　on？



〃Oh　no；〃　said　his　informant　very　freely；　〃he　wouldn't　be　able

to　get　the　young　ladies　to　attend　to　him　now。〃



There　was　something　very　friendly；　Beaumont　perceived；

in　the　attitude　of　the　company；　they　looked　at　the　young　Englishmen

with　an　air　of　animated　sympathy　and　interest；　they　smiled；

brightly　and　unanimously；　at　everything　either　of　the　visitors　said。

Lord　Lambeth　and　his　companion　felt　that　they　were　being　made

very　welcome。　　Mrs。　Westgate　seated　herself　between　them；　and；

talking　a　great　deal　to　each；　they　had　occasion　to　observe

that　she　was　as　pretty　as　their　friend　Littledale　had　promised。

She　was　thirty　years　old；　with　the　eyes　and　the　smile　of　a　girl

of　seventeen；　and　she　was　extremely　light　and　graceful；

elegant；　exquisite。　　Mrs。　Westgate　was　extremely　spontaneous。

She　was　very　frank　and　demonstrative　and　appeared　always

while　she　looked　at　you　delightedly　with　her　beautiful

young　eyesto　be　making　sudden　confessions　and　concessions；

after　momentary　hesitations。



〃We　shall　expect　to　see　a　great　deal　of　you；〃　she　said　to　Lord

Lambeth　with　a　kind　of　joyous　earnestness。　　〃We　are　very　fond

of　Englishmen　here；　that　is；　there　are　a　great　many　we　have　been

fond　of。　　After　a　day　or　two　you　must　come　and　stay　with　us；

we　hope　you　will　stay　a　long　time。　　Newport's　a　very　nice　place

when　you　come　really　to　know　it；　when　you　know　plenty　of　people。

Of　course　you　and　Mr。　Beaumont　will　have　no　difficulty　about　that。

Englishmen　are　very　well　received　here；　there　are　almost　always

two　or　three　of　them　about。　　I　think　they　always　like　it；

and　I　must　say　I　should　think　they　would。　　They　receive　ever

so　much　attention。　　I　must　say　I　think　they　sometimes　get　spoiled；

but　I　am　sure　you　and　Mr。　Beaumont　are　proof　against　that。

My　husband　tells　me　you　are　a　friend　of　Captain　Littledale；

he　was　such　a　charming　man。　　He　made　himself　most　agreeable　here；

and　I　am　sure　I　wonder　he　didn't　stay。　　It　couldn't　have　been

pleasanter　for　him　in　his　own　country；　though；　I　suppose；

it　is　very　pleasant　in　England；　for　English　people。

I　don't　know　myself；　I　have　been　there　very　little。

I　have　been　a　great　deal　abroad；　but　I　am　always　on　the　Continent。

I　must　say　I'm　extremely　fond　of　Paris；　you　know　we　Americans

always　are；　we　go　there　when　we　die。　　Did　you　ever　hear　that　before？

That　was　said　by　a　great　wit；　I　mean　the　good　Americans；

but　we　are　all　good；　you'll　see　that　for　yourself。

All　I　know　of　England　is　London；　and　all　I　know　of　London　is

that　place　on　that　little　corner；　you　know；　where　you　buy　jackets

jackets　with　that　coarse　braid　and　those　big　buttons。

They　make　very　good　jackets　in　London；　I　will　do　you

the　justice　to　say　that。　　And　some　people　like　the　hats；

but　about　the　hats　I　was　always　a　heretic；　I　always　got

my　hats　in　Paris。　　You　can't　wear　an　English　hatat　least

I　never　couldunless　you　dress　your　hair　a　l'Anglaise；

and　I　must　say　that　is　a　talent　I　have　never　possessed。

In　Paris　they　will　make　things　to　suit　your　peculiarities；

but　in　England　I　think　you　like　much　more　to　havehow　shall　I

say　it？one　thing　for　everybody。　　I　mean　as　regards　dress。

I　don't　know　about　other　things；　but　I　have　always

supposed　that　in　other　things　everything　was　different。

I　mean　according　to　the　peopleaccording　to　the　classes；

and　all　that。　　I　am　afraid　you　will　think　that　I　don't　take

a　very　favorable　view；　but　you　know　you　can't　take　a　very

favorable　view　in　Dover　Street　in　the　month　of　November。

That　has　always　been　my　fate。　　Do　you　know　Jones's　Hotel

in　Dover　Street？　　That's　all　I　know　of　England。　　Of　course

everyone　admits　that　the　English　hotels　are　your　weak　point。

There　was　always　the　most　frightful　fog；　I　couldn't　see　to　try

my　things　on。　　When　I　got　over　to　Americainto　the　light

I　usually　found　they　were　twice　too　big。　　The　next　time　I

mean　to　go　in　the　season；　I　think　I　shall　go　next　year。

I　want　very　much　to　take　my　sister；　she　has　never　been　to　England。

I　don't　know　whether　you　know　what　I　mean　by　saying

that　the　Englishmen　who　come　here　sometimes　get　spoiled。

I　mean　that　they　take　things　as　a　matter　of　course

things　that　are　done　for　them。　　Now；　naturally；　they　are

only　a　matter　of　course　when　the　Englishmen　are　very　nice。

But；　of　course；　they　are　almost　always　very　nice。

Of　course　this　isn't　nearly　such　an　interesting　country　as　England；

there　are　not　nearly　so　many　things　to　see；　and　we　haven't　your

country　life。　　I　have　never　seen　anything　of　your　country　life；

when　I　am　in　Europe　I　am　always　on　the　Continent。　　But　I　have

heard　a　great　deal　about　it；　I　know　that　when　you　are　among

yourselves　in　the　country　you　have　the　most　beautiful　time。

Of　course　we　have　nothing　of　that　sort；　we　have　nothing　on

that　scale。　　I　don't　apologize；　Lord　Lambeth；　some　Americans

are　always　apologizing；　you　must　have　noticed　that。

We　have　the　reputation　of　always　boasting　and　bragging　and

waving　the　American　flag；　but　I　must　say　that　what　strikes　me

is　that　we　are　perpetually　making　excuses　and　trying　to　smooth

things　over。　　The　American　flag　has　quite　gone　out　of　fashion；

it's　very　carefully　folded　up；　like　an　old　tablecloth。

Why　should　we　apologize？　　The　English　never　apologize

do　they？　　No；　I　must　say　I　never　apologize。　　You　must　take

us　as　we　comewith　all　our　imperfections　on　our　heads。

Of　course　we　haven't　your　country　life；　and　your　old　ruins；

and　your　great　estates；　and　your　leisure　class；　and　all　that。

But　if　we　haven't；　I　should　think　you　might　find　it　a　pleasant　change

I　think　any　country　is　pleasant　where　they　have　pleasant　manners。

Captain　Littledale　told　me　he　had　never　seen　such　pleasant　manners

as　at　Newport；　and　he　had　been　a　great　deal　in　European　society。

Hadn't　he　been　in　the　diplomatic　service？　　He　told　me

the　dream　of　his　life　was　to　get　appointed　to　a　diplomatic

post　in　Washington。　　But　he　doesn't　seem　to　have　succeeded。

I　suppose　that　in　England　promotionand　all　that　sort　of　thing

is　fearfully　slow。　　With　us；　you　know；　it's　a　great　deal　too　fast。

You　see；　I　admit　our　drawbacks。　　But　I　must　confess　I　think　Newport

is　an　ideal　place。　　I　don't　know　anything　like　it　anywhere。

Captain　Littledale　told　me　he　didn't　know　anything　like　it　anywhere。

It's　entirely　different　from　most　watering　places；

it's　a　most　charming　life。　　I　must　say　I　think　that　when　one

goes　to　a　foreign　country　one　ought　to　enjoy　the　differences。

Of　course　there　are　differences；　otherwise　what　did　one　come

abroad　for？　　Look　for　your　pleasure　in　the　differences；

Lord　Lambeth；　that's　the　way　to　do　it；　and　then　I　am　sure

you　will　find　American　societyat　least　Newport　society

most　charming　and　most　interesting。　　I　wish　very　much　my

husband　were　here；　but　he's　dreadfully　confined　to　New　York。

I　suppose　you　think　that　is　very　strangefor　a　gentleman。

But　you　see　we　haven't　any　leisure　class。〃



Mrs。　Westgate's　discourse；　delivered　in　a　soft；　sweet　voice；

flowed　on　like　a　miniature　torrent；　and　was　interrupted　by　a

hundred　little　smiles；　glances；　and　gestures；　which　might　have

figured　the　irregularities　and　obstructions　of　such　a　stream。

Lord　Lambeth　listened　to　her　with；　it　must　be　confessed；

a　rather　ineffectual　attention；　although　he　indulged　in　a　good

many　little　murmurs　and　ejaculations　of　assent　and　deprecation。

He　had　no　great　faculty　for　apprehending　generalizations。

There　were　some　three　or　four　indeed　which；　in　the　play

of　his　own　intelligence；　he　had　originated；　and　which　had

seemed　convenient　at　the　moment；　but　at　the　present　time

he　could　hardly　have　been　said　to　follow　Mrs。　Westgate

as　she　darted　gracefully　about　in　the　sea　of　speculation。

Fortunately　she　asked　for　no　especial　rejoinder；

for　she　looked　about　at　the　rest　of　the　company